Blog Tour Review: Cursed Be The Wicked by Jo Richardson

CURSED BE THE WICKED

By: J.R. Richardson

Publication Date: March 5, 2014

Cooper Shaw lives his life under a pen name and enjoys the anonymity it provides during his journeys across the globe as a seasoned writer for a travel magazine. When his job lands him in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts to cover the famous Festival of the Dead, he soon realizes that he can’t stay invisible forever as he faces ghosts from a past he’s been trying to forget ever since he left.

The city holds nothing but bad memories for Coop until he meets a quirky young woman with an old soul and curious insights by the name of Finnley Pierce. While she acts as his tour guide through a town he thought he knew, Finn helps him unearth the truth of his childhood and might even begin to open up his heart.

By unraveling the mystery of his father’s murder, Coop may finally accept who he is, where he came from, and perhaps even realize what he wants for his future.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7UnPtcBVfg]

ABOUT J.R.

I’m a writer of stories and lover of life.

I grew up in Maryland with four siblings, three parents and an endless number of cousins within the vicinity. Today I live in Florida with my two girls and a husband that shares my same sense of humor and basic take on life as we know it.

Life is too short to put dreams on the back burner.

Cosmo’s Thoughts

4 out of 5 stars

I can’t lie and say that this book was an easy sell for me. Especially in the beginning. I had a hard time getting into it at first, but the strangest (and best) thing happened as I continued turning pages… I became invested.

Cursed Be the Wicked can’t be described as one particular genre or another. Is it paranormal? Yes. There are definitely elements of the supernatural. Is it a love story? Yes. The romance definitely helps drive the story. But what it really is – and where J.R. Richardson really pulls me in – is the suspense. She crafted a story that is completely thoughtful and absolutely engaging.

Part of me wants to just recap this story in my review. But where would the fun be for you in that? Reading the story is the best part. What I will say: I really loved Cooper Shaw, our hero. I loved his story, and I loved peeling away every layer the author gave me as I read. And I also loved Finn, our heroine.

I read this as Cooper’s story. But the truth is that this story belongs to them both. Yes, it might be the hero’s journey, but they definitely take this trip together. I loved the way Cooper was forced to face his demons, but I also appreciated the reconciliation between who he was as a child and the man he is now.

Once I got into the book, it was a great read. And the story evolved in such an effortless way, I found I spent an entire evening reading without putting the book down. Kudos to the author for that.

Readers who enjoy suspenseful romance will love this book. Usually, I can guess what will happen before it does, but I didn’t have that with this book at all. And the pacing (after the very beginning) was great. This is a wonderful debut from a new author, and I look forward to reading whatever she decides to publish next.

I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.